PleinAir Today was recently talking with Eleinne Basa, the 2012 winner of the PleinAir Salon, about other painting topics, and the subject of the PleinAir Salon came up. Her comments were notable.
"I was doing some good shows, the California Arts Club, the Maynard Dixon Country event in Utah, the Salon International, but when I won the PleinAir Salon, other shows invited me, including the Door County event, the Gilcrease Museum miniature show -- and 10 calls came from different galleries," she said. "It gave my career a kick. As Eric Rhoads [publisher of PleinAir] told me, 'Everybody knows you now.' Before, I had to call people, show my website. Suddenly, if I called someone, they knew who I was."
Basa is currently represented by four galleries, and she says two of them were clearly influenced by her win in the PleinAir Salon. "I capitalized on the win," says the New Jersey artist. "I sent an e-mail blast to my list. One prestigious gallery -- one of the hardest to get in -- had talked with me, but after I won the Salon, they contacted me and asked me to ship a couple of paintings to see. Now I'm represented there."
Artists interested in entering the PleinAir Salon's next bimonthly contest should act soon -- the deadline is January 31. Get the details here.
